The only cast member not to be returning will be Helen Baxendale, who's character Rachel Bradly was killed in a car crash.

In this new series, which will be the sixth for the cast, many questions will be answered: How has Adam coped without his soulmate, Rachel, raising their son, Matthew, on his own?

Do Pete and Jenny still spend their evenings on the sofa, in domestic bliss?

And what of David and Karen who had split up. With three children between them, are the ties that bind them still strong?

When we last engaged with our heroes they were on the cusp of change, growing up and settling down.

They’d hoped that by the time they were approaching 50 their lives would be simpler. Well, now they’re there, they’re discovering that it isn’t. The issues they face are different but just as challenging.

They still have many years to live, but can’t escape the niggling fear that their futures are behind them.